1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to markers used to alert and divert vehicles, watercraft, aircraft and pedestrians to pass safely around hazards or other obstacles. More particularly, the present invention relates to safety markers and marker adapters which are capable, for example, of dispensing a safety material therefrom for providing a continuous physical border between two or more locations.
2. Background Information
The control and diversion of the flow of pedestrian and vehicular type traffic flow around temporary road hazards and other conditions may be handled through the use of portable traffic markers, e.g., traffic cones or pylons. For example, when a manhole cover on a roadway is removed therefrom, the danger area, i.e., the area surrounding the open manhole, may be barricaded with one or more portable traffic markers.
The conventional traffic cone or marker is hollow, includes base and upper portions, wherein an opening extends through the top of the upper portion into a hollow interior. These cones are usually fabricated from a rubber-based or some other elastomeric material. Such markers usually take a conical or cylindrical shape and are constructed of brightly colored, e.g., orange, and relatively lightweight resilient materials. Reflective materials may also be used to improve their visibility. As such, they have become universally accepted as an effective means for controlling the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. These markers are highly visible, and can be easily and readily positioned on a ground surface. Often, a row or string of markers, i.e., spaced apart from one another, are employed to alert and divert all forms of traffic around or away from the hazard or obstacle.
One drawback associated with conventional traffic cones is that they are freestanding static objects, without adequate means for being connected together. Therefore, the creation of an imaginary line or border to delineate the area surrounding the obstacle or hazard is usually attempted by simply arranging a plurality of cones in spaced apart relation. Under such an arrangement, it is desired that pedestrians and vehicles will not pass through the imaginary border created by the string of cones. Nonetheless, pedestrians and vehicles still tend to pass through adjacently placed cones, unknowingly or knowingly risking injury to themselves and others, such as utility workers.
In order to create a visible physical border between adjacent or neighboring cones and structures, and therefore to avoid the problem of traffic passing through the imaginary border as described above, tape or rope is at times employed to connect the cones together, or to connect one or more cones to some structure such as a lamp post. However, tape and rope tend to become easily unfastened and/or slip off, especially under poor weather conditions. Moreover, the conical shape and smoothness of the markers, together with their failure to have adequate means of fastening, facilitates the difficulty of using tape and rope. Therefore, tape and rope are generally unreliable for creating a good physical border between cones and other objects. In addition, tape and rope are both relatively thin, and are not easily visible, especially at night or in poor weather conditions. Finally, rolls of tape and rope are often forgotten by the utility workers due to the cones not having the facilities for securely fastening the safety material thereto.
Another problem associated with conventional traffic cones is the ease at which they can be tipped or knocked over. This is the result of the markers being relatively light and also because the base design has minimal surface area contact with the ground surface. The underside of the markers typically have protruding legs or ribs which contact the ground. This results in reduced surface friction and the possibility of being easily moved or knocked over by unintentional forces such as strong winds, e.g., large truck tail winds. Other forces, such as a pedestrian simply brushing a cone while passing, often causes tipping. One past solution to this problem has been to employ nails or spikes to affix the marker to finished ground surfaces, such as street covered asphalt. However, this has the undesirable result of causing damage to the ground surface and/or marker. Additional solutions include ring weights that may be placed over the body of the cone. However, ring weights are generally not desirable due to difficulty in handling and because of the need for significant storage facilities.
Thus, a need exists for a safety marker which does not suffer from the above-stated drawbacks. More specifically, there is a need for a safety marker that can be employed to easily and reliably form a continuous physical border for a specified area. The structure of the present invention contains a solution to the aforementioned problems. As defined below, the present invention provides a significant improvement over currently existing cones and other marker equipment used to delineate an area for providing safety and direction.